CONSTELLATIONS wrapped our 20th Anniversary Season as our best-attended summer production, just besting the phenomenon that was 2005’s The March of the Kitefliers. It was a season of records on many levels, making our theme of ad astra per aspera all the more meaningful. We entered 2018-19 with tremendous uncertainty after suffering a number of well-documented financial blows.
To be perfectly blunt, I had to sit in front of our Artistic Associates while planning the 20th and tell them unless some things changed and really went our way it could very well be our last.
Thank heavens they did.
Over the course of the 2018-19 season we managed to:
- smash all previous earned income records by 20%.
- bring an additional 1,000 people into downtown for our mainstage performances.
- DOUBLE the number of weekday Shakespeare matinees we offered schools.
- boost non-union actor salaries by an average of 60%, meaning that there was virtually no pay gap. We inched that much closer to offering a what’s considered a living wage.
- — most importantly — produce six amazing, unique theatrical experiences that the region wholly embraced. Hedwig, Edgar & Emily, Othello, (abridged), Hedda, and Constellations as single pieces and as a whole epitomized who we are and who we want to be.
And I can’t wait to show you what we do in our 21st.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t bang the drum again as to the value of season tickets. Folks save 20-70% versus what single tickets cost within a few weeks of a performance. The season opens with Steve Martin’s new comedy METEOR SHOWER and is full of dynamite work. Take a look here if you’ve been out of the loop this summer on what’s coming and make sure to pick up a pass to ensure your seats at the lowest possible prices.
If you have any favorite Jobsiteers: METEOR SHOWER stars Jonelle M. Meyer, Amy E. Gray, Jordan Foote, and Jamie Jones; THE THANKSGIVING PLAY has Giles Davies, Caitlin Eason, Adam Workman, and Jobsite newcomer Dana Maura; A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM features Giles Davies as Bottom and Katrina Stevenson as Puck; DOUBT boasts Roxanne Fay, Caitlin Eason, and Andresia Moseley; THE RESISTIBLE RISE OF ARTURO UI will take the stage with the 8-person ensemble of Derrick Phillips, Ned Averill-Snell, Colleen Cherry, Spencer Meyers, Katrina Stevenson, Ryan Bernier, Maggie Phillips, and Michael C. McGreevy. Casting for the season isn’t finished yet, so watch this space for additional announcements.
If you are interested in hearing more about these plays and why we chose them, please join us for a free season kickoff party on Aug. 18. Enjoy complimentary drinks from The Independent, nibbles, a chance drawing for a pair of diamond earrings from Design One Jewelers and a basket from The Florida Aquarium, and get a sneak-peek at what’s to come through a series of presentations and staged readings for all six upcoming plays.
Thank you for helping us keep our head in the stars. It was a great season. I hope you’re ready for a great reckoning in a little room.
We’ll be back soon!
-David M. Jenkins
